Tecmo's Deception

You don't play the hero in Tecmo's Deception, the most unusual of the PlayStation's new RPGs. You're not even a nice guy. You're the villain--the antihero-and you want to trap and kill every do-gooder you see.

The game puts you in charge of a castle and entrusts you with keeping it free of treasure hunters and other would-be heroes. If you do a good job, the castle's demonic keeper will help you seek revenge on those who framed you for murdering your father, the king.

The game looks very much like King's Field, except it moves a lot quicker and you don't wield weapons against the castle's invaders. Instead, you take the Home Alone approach and set up traps, of which there are more than 40 different kinds.

Some are designed to capture the intruders, while others-like the wall spikes-are designed to just plain hurt. You'll need to inflict some pain, too; many invaders are too quick to be captured unless you sap their spunkiness with a few wall spikes or one-ton weights.

It's best to capture people rather than kill them, since captured invaders yield magic points, and magic points are needed to lay traps.

Once you get to the later levels, you can turn your prisoners into monsters that will patrol the castle. The game has six different endings depending on which trespassers you kill or turn into monster slaves.

The other half of Tecmo's Deception plays like a twisted, old episode of Bob Vila's This Old House. You need to add rooms to the castle, and these dens, libraries and other additions are purchased with the money you steal from trespassers. The more rooms you build, the more likely you are to find keys and artifacts. If you find the six Legendary Treasures, you can resurrect the demon-then the castle's invaders are really in trouble.

reggie posted a review.

Overall rating: 8.5

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Game Reviews

Best put by EGM Associate Editor Crispin Boyer, this game is like the dark side of Home Alone. Enter Tecmo's Deception: Invitation to Darkness, a game where you get to play the nasty villain who kills wonderful adventure seekers that enter your domain. The story starts with you as a prince. Your father, the king, is killed in a mysterious way. You are blamed for his death and burned alive. Before the final moment of truth, however, you make the acquaintance of a demon who brings you back from the dead to construct the massive castle of the damned and protect it from anyone who might enter.

The game does look quite similar to that of King's Field 2, but instead of slashing your enemies with what weapons are available, you have to set vile traps within the corridors. Among these traps are such things as simple electrified cages and bear traps, to nasty things like giant stone feet, wall spikes, pits and anvils! In total, there are over 40 kinds of traps you can set. Force out screams, monster howls, antagonizing laughter and creepy cries to change the morale of each hero anywhere from angry to total cowardice! In addition to the 3-D wandering and trap springing, there is a resource management side to this game as well. As stated above, you must construct the palace by placing rooms, corridors and such in any location you want-along with the traps too.

There are also tons of secrets to be found. While doing your construction bit, certain rooms might suddenly have secret items found within them. You will also gain new styles of rooms and traps for each level gained by your character. To add to the fun. the game is extremely heavy in plot. Depending on which characters you kill, items you find, prisoners you release and so on, you will change the course of events in the game, thus leading to new characters to battle and perhaps a secret new item or three-all eventually leading up to one of the six endings the game contains! If you ever wanted to design your own slaughter house-this one's the game, you'll want to get!

MANUFACTURER - TECMO

THEME - RPG

NUMBER OF PLAYERS - 1

reggie posted a review.

Overall rating: 7.5

Just when you thought Tecmo developed only sports games, along comes Deception, a first-person RPG with an engaging story line and innovative gameplay. Add in its great sounds and nasty monsters, and this eerie, heart-stopping RPG keeps you suspended in terror.

Tricks 'n' Traps

What makes Deception's gameplay unique is the lack of traditional weaponry. You play as a crown prince who makes a pact with Satan to keep from being burned at the stake. Armed only with traps (such as spikes and cages), you battle on Satan's behalf and eventually try to turn the tables on him. As you progress, Satan gives you more powerful traps and the magical ability to create vicious monsters who will vanquish enemies for you.

Unlike other RPGs, in Deception your confrontation with each enemy is unique. Initially you use different masks to coerce invaders into the traps that will confuse, maim, or capture them. Later in the game you can use the monsters, especially as they grow stronger and gain experience with each victory.

The Sound of Suspense

Much of Deception's intensity comes from its outstanding sound. The eerie background music works with terrific sound effects like footsteps, screams, and creaking doors to create a cohesive atmosphere that is pure suspense.

The graphics are almost as good. Although some of the BD rendering is blocky, overall the first-person graphics are quick, crisp, and detailed (note the en tertaining expressions on the faces of your enemies as they stir in your traps). While more shading and variety would have added depth to the castle's bland rooms, the truly frightening monsters more than compensate.

No Deception

Responsive controls make it possible for you to trigger your traps precisely when you need to. The controls also enable you to customize rooms as part of your strategy for trapping victims.

Deception is an excellent addition to the RPG market. It has something most other RPGs seem to have lost: originality. While other games follow the familiar Phantasy Star or Final Fantasy formats, Deception has an original story and unique gameplay. Deception may be the game other companies will follow into the future of RPGs.

ProTips:

Use monsters sparingly. Only when a pesky Invader Is difficult to finish off should you send In a werewolf or zombie.

In Strategy mode, build bedrooms, which replenish your health, near your Power rooms.

If you're out of cash, choose merchants as your victims. They carry the most gold.

Be careful when resting In bedrooms, because Invaders can still come In and harm you.

If an Invader's speed Is helping them elude your traps, use pits and cranes to slow them down for capture.

Early In the game, buy herbs from the lone merchant In the halls. You'll need their healing powers almost Immediately.